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Related Experiment Videos

Spotting management fads.

Danny Miller1, Jon Hartwick

  • 1Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Montreal.

Harvard Business Review
|October 23, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Managers must critically evaluate business fads. Simple techniques often signal a fad, not a lasting management tool, potentially harming companies instead of helping them.

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Area of Science:

  • Business Management
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Strategic Decision-Making

Background:

  • Business fads frequently emerge, impacting organizational trajectories.
  • While some fads introduce novel concepts, many fail to deliver promised benefits.
  • Distinguishing enduring tools from transient fads is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide guidance for managers in differentiating between temporary business fads and sustainable management tools.
  • To highlight characteristics that may indicate a business concept is a fad rather than a viable strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of common characteristics of successful and unsuccessful business fads.
  • Review of literature on management trends and organizational change.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Identification of indicators for evaluating the potential longevity of business techniques.

    • Main Results:

    • Business fads can significantly alter company performance, with outcomes varying widely.
    • A key indicator of a fad is the presence of overly simplistic methodologies.
    • Techniques that appear too easy often lack the depth for sustained positive impact.

    Conclusions:

    • Managers should approach novel business techniques with skepticism, particularly those promising effortless solutions.
    • Critical assessment is necessary to discern fads from tools that offer genuine, long-term value.
    • Avoiding simplistic fads can prevent negative organizational consequences and resource misallocation.